Adronitis
by fifthbeta
Summary: (n. frustration with how long it takes to get to know someone—spending the first few weeks chatting in their psychological entryway, with each subsequent conversation like entering a different anteroom, each a little closer to the center of the house...) -Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. Or, in which Black Forest cake ruins Light's life. (unedited, will be cleaned & continued soon)


"Ryuuzaki... I'm not wearing this chain in public."

"I assure you that I am not especially thrilled about the idea either, however my desire for black forest cake is far stronger than my desire, or lack of, to stay here and browse outdated Kira fan pages, and much more important than the impressions we may make on passersby."

Light scrolled down another page of KIRA KIRA FANCLUB, acting as if he were deeply invested in his research. His eyes scanning the screen, he nonchalantly replied, "Talk all you want... I'm not leaving this chair. In fact, this leads me to wondering how you manage to be the world's best detective while you can argue the importance of sweets over the Kira case."

"I am most certainly treating the case as serious as the time calls for. Which is, may I remind you-," L raised his left hand, the handcuff chains jingling together as they were lifted off of the ground, "Why we are chained together in the first place. The investigation cannot afford for the chain between us to be discarded. We must be connected at all times until I can successfully determine whether or not you are, in fact, Kira." He brought his elevated hand to his teeth and began to worry at his thumb.

"Ryuuzaki, I'm not Kira!" Light exclaimed, swivelling around in his seat to face his tormentor. "And I am not going outside with this," he jerked his chained wrist up violently, "On me! You're so difficult sometimes."

"...I could say the same for you, Light-kun." L rose from his crouched position on his chair and gestured for Light to follow.

Instead, he spun back around to face his screen and began navigating the fan site. Upon loading the next page, Light heard a drawn out sigh followed by the telltale melody of the chain being gathered up in L's hands. A moment later the entirety of the cold chain was placed in a heap on Light's lap.

"Augh!" Immediately Light's hands flew away from the keyboard and went to catch the mass from clattering to the floor. "What the hell are you doing, Ryuuzaki!?"

L rolled his eyes towards the ceiling as if in deep thought. "You said you would not leave the chair, therefore, I am compromising." And with that, he looped the remaining chain around the chair's neck and began tugging it, and Light, towards the door.

"Ryuuzaki, fine! Stop it!" By now their ruckus had caught the attention of the rest of the task force- Matsuda in particular, who was standing from his seat looking as if he were ready to jump into the middle should a fight ensue. "Uh, Ryuuzaki, isn't there cake here? Or if there isn't, Watari could bring it...?"

"There is cake, but it is not black forest cake. Specifically fresh cake, which I require. Watari... cannot bring me fresh cake."

Meanwhile, Light had untangled the chain from his chair, and it laid once more on the ground. "Ryuuzaki, if you want cake that bad you're just going to have to settle for Watari bringing it to you! We have work to do, and until the chain is removed, I'm staying here." He made off back to his desk but was stopped short when the chain pulled taut- L had managed to pull his chair quite a distance. When he looked back, L was staring at the ground forlornly, but feeling Light's eyes on him, turned to him with a grimace.

"So Light-kun would accompany me if the chain were removed?"

"Wh-what!" Soichiro burst, pushing himself to his feet immediately. "Ryuuzaki, after pushing for our approval, you can't possibly think that you can just-"

What is this, a trap? Some kind of test? Just what the hell is L trying to prove here!

"Come on, Ryuuzaki. Whatever stunt you're trying to pull here, it's not working. I agree with my father, after all the controversy these cuffs have caused I wouldn't take removing them so lightly. Now can we get back to work?"

L sighed once more, slumping more than usual and outright glaring at Light.

"Light-kun... I've explained it to you. This is not a stunt. I simply require fresh black forest cake. I am in charge of this investigation, and so you have no choice but to accompany me."

With that, L turned and began towards the doors once more. The seriousness of his statement had caught Light off guard, and he dumbly followed after Ryuuzaki while the rest of the task force stared on in disbelief. Matsuda's hand was still outstretched towards where Light had been positioned, and as the duo walked closer to the exit, he dropped his hand to his side.

"R-Ryuuzaki...what..."

L pivoted around to face the task force, "We will return in under an hour."

And with that, Light and L disappeared through the exit doors.

A single barrier remained between the two investigators and the outside world, the chain still firmly attached onto both of them. Each of them held onto the chain a couple of inches past their cuffs, as they were accustomed to, to prevent excess from dragging along the ground.

"Ryuuzaki..? Are you serious about this?"

"I am never not serious about cake, Light-kun."

Light sighed in frustration, raking his free hand through his hair. "That's... not what I meant, Ryuuzaki."

"Oh? What did Light-kun mean?" L tilted his head, fingering the chain links in his hands.

Light grit his teeth. Ryuuzaki was playing with him again.

"The chain. After having to convince everyone that it was necessary in the first place, treating the removal of it so lightly... it's strange. What's the catch?"

"No catch, Light-kun, I simply desire black forest cake. Fresh. Now close your eyes."

"What? Why should I?"

"You cannot see where I've hidden the key."

A bullshit excuse to compromise Light's awareness, surely. Light had witnessed L slipping the key into a secret pocket on the inside of his jeans on numerous occasions.

"Will removing this chain at all compromise my status as innocent?" Light demanded, instead of obeying.

"No. Now close your eyes before I drag you outside with the cuffs still on."

"Fine, Ryuuzaki."

No need to threaten me... what has him so on edge?

Exasperated, Light made a show of uncrossing his arms and letting out a prolonged sigh, closing his eyes with a grimace on his face.

Once Light's eyes slipped closed, he heard the rustling of L procuring the key. Obviously the sound of a hand slipping into a pocket, rendering closing his eyes redundant.

The feeling of being L's... prisoner. At his disposal, completely denounced of freedom, falsely accused of being a homicidal maniac. It was unbearable.

He felt, rather than saw, L moving off to his side, heard the clang as L's cuff fell to the ground, and the rustle as L moved to reach for him.

"Do not open your eyes until I have replaced the key." L said.

And suddenly L's hand was around his wrist, surprisingly warm and there for a mere second before his deft fingers had unlocked the cuff and it clicked, unlatched, and was gone.

Light, eyes still closed, immediately reached to feel the indentations around his left wrist where the chain had rested. Even apart from their link, liberated- the mark still remained.

Perhaps whatever catch there surely was would be worth it, merely for the solace independence evoked. Even if only briefly.

Taking a deep breath, Light dropped his hands to his sides again, hearing the quiet rummaging coming from L's direction, indicating he was hiding the key once again.

A shiver wracked through Light's shoulders. A part of him felt pathetic at the euphoria he felt simply from the illusion of being unsupervised-

like a middle school child sneaking a cigarette.

The rustling suddenly stopped and before Light could open his eyes, L's hand slipped into his, grasping it and pulling him forwards.

"Let's go." Ryuuzaki said casually.

"What the hell, Ryuuzaki-!" Light pulled back on his hand, succeeding only in halting L's progression towards the doors,"Do you mean... what, is this your genius compromise? You're going to hold my hand like a child?"

All the freedom Light felt suddenly crashed and burned. L, that bastard-

"I said I would compromise. Compromising involves sacrifice, Light-kun. Now, you've stalled quite enough, and I'm beginning to become agitated. I just need my black forest cake. Now please, come on."

Though surely part of L was giggling inside, he seemed sincere enough- if that was a quality L could at all posses- that Light grit his teeth and pushed himself forwards, pointedly staring straight ahead, ignoring the feel of L's hand in his.

The sun and wind on Light's face was enough to calm him down, as he refused to entertain L when he urged him to climb to the roof with him. Perhaps, in the future, Light would take him up on that offer.

It was (SEASON DESCRPTION!)

L pulled his hand, more than held it, guiding Light through the busy streets. Somehow he was faster, even if his feet were clad only in sandals, toes wiggling in the air.

At their pace, they arrived at L's destination in under ten minutes, a sweets shop nestled between a run down video store and a hair salon. It was small inside, and L immediately pulled them up to the counter, ringing the little golden bell.

A brunette who looked to be in her twenties sprang up to the counter, taking note of their linked hands, and laid hers gently across the glass casing, under which sat sweets prepped for display.

"What can I get you two?" she grinned.

"One Black Forest Cake- please make it fresh, a tea tray," L looked above at the menus and Light saw his pupils slowly dilating, "a forty eight pack of dobits, two ice cream banana split sundaes- one chocolate fudge mocha, one strawberry cream vanilla, a cherry pie, the twelve pack of gourmet cookies- one of each flavour, one large strawberry cheesecake, and, hm" he paused and turned his head towards Light, "anything for you?"

Light blanched.

"Coffee?"

"and one coffee. double double. And don't forget to add whip cream to the pies." L finished.

The girl, who had been scribbling furiously on a notepad she had drawn from her apron pocket, finally looked up.

"Wow, yeah, it should be about half an hour for everything to be ready, I'll bring it to you as it comes. If you need anything else, just call for me! My name is Brittany" She bowed quickly, glanced once more at their hands, and disappeared into the back room.

L led them to a booth, rather than the more accessible tables in front of the counter, explaining that he would need both hands to eat, and would let Light go if he sat on the inside.

Light agreed, slipping into his seat.

"I thought you were only ordering the cake."

"I also thought that." L deadpanned, and released Light's hand, slipping in beside him, sitting in that strange way of his.

As soon as they were seated, the waitress hurried out from the kitchen balancing a tea tray in her hands, along with Light's coffee.

"Here you are!" She exclaimed, setting the tray onto their table, barely moving Light's coffee in front of him before L put in a request for more sugar cubes, and dropped all eight into the teacup, pouring the steaming hot tea in over.

The waitress spluttered and apologized, hurrying away.

"I think you're scaring her."

L gave Light a confused look and continued to stir his sugar. He slurped down half the cup just as the girl was rushing over to their table again, this time carrying sugar cubes along with the dobits and gourmet cookies.

She plopped them down in the middle of the table and scurried away again, appearing moments later holding a banana split sundae in each hand. Light sipped at his coffee and watched her eye L curiously and with a faint look of disgusted amazement as she made her way back to the counter to serve another customer.

The next half hour consisted mostly of L stuffing his face, garnering strange looks from customers, and Light staring out the shop window, coffee cradled in his hands. Finally, all that remained on the table were eight of the gourmet cookies, 37 dobits (which were both to be brought back to headquarters), and the empty and used ice cream dishes and tea tray.

L sighed, licking wayward ice cream from his hands, as Light set down his now empty coffee cup, pushing it to the side of the table where L had wordlessly designated the garbage zone.

"We need to leave soon if you want to get back within the hour," Light prompted, reminding L of his words to the task force.

"I've already notified Watari that we will be late, Light-kun. Besides, I haven't gotten my black forest cake yet."

As if on cue, Brittany appeared from behind the counter, holding a cherry pie.

"The cheesecake and black forest should only be a couple minutes now, sorry for the wait!" she said, placing the pie and cutlery down on the table, collecting their dirty dishes and hurrying away again before Light even noticed she had brought two sets of cutlery.

The pie was obviously fresh from the oven, it's sweet steam wafting towards the ceiling. L wasted no time cutting out a piece for himself, the knife slicing through the layers of red cherries and and lingering in L's hand, hovering over another portion of the pie.

Something in the atmosphere had changed while Light was sipping his coffee. Instead of seeming like some kind of trap, sitting with L in a sweets shop seemed almost natural. Nice.

"Would Light-kun like a piece?"

Light almost protested before he realized he'd not eaten since breakfast, two measly pieces of toast and a coffee- and it was now nearing dinner time.

"Sure," he replied, reaching for the second set of cutlery as L carved out a piece for him.

Although cherry pie wasn't something Light would usually eat, having become less and less fond of sweets since the start of the investigation, his combined hunger and the serenity of the sweets shop had him reaching for his plate as soon as L was done serving him.

They sat in silence, digging into their respective slices. The clock on the wall seemed louder than before, made Light wonder when they would get back to headquarters, whether L was really the only one monitoring him right now, reminded him that he was only dragged here because L needed his damn black forest cake.

Whatever sense of security and warmth he was feeling right now, it was false and wouldn't last, Light bitterly reminded himself. They were, at the root, detective and suspect. Light pushed his pie away at the same time L was taking a second piece.

"Not hungry, Light-kun?"

"I don't usually eat sweets."

They sat in strained silence until Brittany arrived holding a cheesecake along with the long-awaited Black Forest Cake, placing it in front of L and bowing deeply before hurrying away again, returning moments later with the cheque.

"Please call me over when you're ready to pay!"

She disappeared into the back room, once again leaving L to dig into his new dishes.

Sighing, L leaned towards the window. He'd seen L gorging himself too many times before to really be amazed at all.

After the bill was paid, the cheesecake was left untouched, and was packaged to be brought back to headquarters along with the remaining cherry pie, dobits, and gourmet cookies. The black forest cake had been completely devoured, so Light made no protest when L pushed most of the packages into his arms, holding only the dobits and Light's other hand in his.

The walk back to headquarters was silent and cold, the sky having darkened considerably while the two were inside the sweets shop. The streets at night were less busy than before, so

Light snuck a glance at L, who was moving slower than before and gazing sideways towards the street lights, the light wind tousling his hair and pushing it back off his forehead. He was dressed in his usual outfit, but with a light brown coat thrown over top with only sandals on his feet- so Light couldn't help wondering how he wasn't freezing to death. He figured it was the same way he could stay awake for eight consecutive days and live on a diet of pure sugar, all while maintaining status as the world's top detective.

Light had tuned out the occasional stares they were receiving, but while he pulled his attention away from L, still feeling the warmth they were sharing between their hands, and looked around himself, it became suddenly obvious to why people were staring. In his earlier fit, he was so focused on who held the power, on who was in control of the situation, so caught up in the investigation, he had viewed the situation too narrowly.

Instead of seeing them as together by force, necessity, a power struggle between detective and suspect, unfair authority sending a sense of shame to Light through their linked hands- guardian and goddamn irresponsible child, they...

All they saw were two people holding hands, walking to a sweets shop together.

His face suddenly hot against the cold wind, Light's hand shifted in L's and he bit his tongue to prevent saying something. They were almost back, it wasn't worth it.

But the warmth of L's palm in his, the brief happiness he felt sitting in the booth, sharing a cherry pie, watching people pass the shop window with L by his side... they were things that, when put together, painted an ugly picture.

Light stole another glance towards L, who was still looking towards the street lights, seemingly mesmerized (but probably completely aware of his surroundings somehow). L was idiosyncratic to a minute degree, incomprehensible in every conceivable way, and looked breathtakingly beautiful under the lights of Tokyo city.

Light felt himself blush again, mortified at the turn his thoughts had taken. This situation was too strange for him to be thinking straight! They were approaching headquarters, and Light's relief was evident.

"Ryuuzaki, hurry up. We've been out for three hours!"

L made no response, simply sighing as Light tugged him the rest of the way back.


End file.
